


Slumberland

by FerreiraDiamandisDelRey



Category: The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - All Media Types, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Brotherly Love, Fluff, Nightmares, Oneshot, darry and pony actually get along, darry is brother of the year, soda is a sweet baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 13:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10900194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FerreiraDiamandisDelRey/pseuds/FerreiraDiamandisDelRey
Summary: Darry finds a solution to Pony's consistent nightmares.





	Slumberland

Tonight was going to be different. Darry was sure of it. His plan was so detailed, researched, and precisely measure that failure wasn’t in hindsight. After conceiving the idea, he pondered it and ironically, slept on it. He was positive that tonight, it wasn’t going to be the same as every other.

Tonight, Ponyboy wasn’t going to be awaken by the haunting images of that night. He wasn’t going to sit up in bed, his lungs burning with a lack of air, a film of slick sweat on his forehead, and his heart pounding in his narrow chest, the side effects of a nightmare. These tainted dreams were routine at this point. At least every night, the youngest Curtis would howell in fear in the midnight darkness, awakening the house and sometimes the whole street.

Of course, Soda would be the first in action. He would sit up beside his brother in the shared bed and pull him into his arms, running his hands through the bleach locks that were now tinged with sweat, an effort to coax the cries out of Pony’s system. Next would be Darry, who would throw open the door with a heavy look of concern and sympathy. He would slowly approach the bed and sit beside his brothers, sure to be quiet incase Pony’s senses were heightened with shock. Within a few seconds, Pony would be transferred into Darry’s lap where he would receive a kiss on the forehead and a sheltering hug.

Depending on who had decided to crash on the couch, a multitude of things could follow. Typically, Steve would stay in the living room, leaving the comfort to Soda. Although he wasn’t Pony’s biggest fan, he couldn’t help but feel his heart twist in empathy, but he knew it was best to stick his ground. If it was Two-Bit, he would be up in a flash, sleep lingering in his eyes. He would stalk in the hall, peering through the door and waiting for Pony to be calm before coming in and trying to lighten the mood with a joke, although by the way Pony screamed, he wasn’t in a jocular mood. 

Sometimes, Pony would wonder how Johnny and Dally would respond to the nightmares. He was almost positive Johnny would be at his room faster than Darry, knowing his best friend would be sure to come to his side in record time. As for Dally, he would probably come as quickly as Johnny, but would pose in the doorway, playing cool. But deep down, he would be hurting for the kid just as much as everyone else.

But tonight, no one would need to come running into the bedroom, there would be no screams, and in fact; there would be no nightmares at all. For Darry had taken matters into his own hands. He had called Pony’s old pediatrician and asked about the dreams. From there he was referred to a local therapist who he contacted with the same question. During the phone call he jotted down some suggestions on how to avoid the nightly occurrences. 

However the best idea had come from a coworker. While loading his truck with roofing supplies at the main office for the company, an older man he had seen from time to time recommended the method he used with his youngest daughter. Every night, he would read to her until she fell asleep and whenever he did so, she would only dream about what he read and nothing more. Darry decided to give the advice a go and discussed it with Soda, who said it was well worth the try.

And so that night, Pony was nestled in bed, laying on his side. A few blankets were strewn over his body and his blonde hair was flopped over his pillow in an arrangement of chaos. Sode sat beside him, his head resting on the headboard as he patiently waited for Darry.

“Soda, do you really think this will work,” inquired Pony, his sweet teal eyes turned up at his middle brother.

“Well, it’s worth a try. And besides, Darry is sure it will work,” Soda answered with confidence, his heart beating with the hope he’ll sleep the whole night through with no need to assuage Pony’s fears.

Darry entered the room, a book in hand. Pony swallowed nervously, a touch embarrassed that he was getting a bedtime story like a child. His eldest brother sat on the edge of the bed and cleared his throat, opening the book and looking at Pony.

He began reading, Pony was pretty sure it Alice in Wonderland. His mom had indulged the boys in that book countless times, as the three Curtis brothers would beg to hear of the adventures down the rabbithole. 

As Darry read, Soda ran his fingers through Pony’s hair, watching his baby brother’s eyelashes flutter shut every now and then, sleep slowly enveloping his body. Soda surveyed the scene before him and couldn’t help but smile. His sweet Pony was drifting off to sleep, his carnation pink lips pouted and his eyes shut, the intricate blue veins on his lids in full display. He then looked to Darry, who had his legs crossed and was focused on reading the book in the softest, most soothing voice as possible.

Soda untwinned his fingers from Pony’s fringe, looking back to Darry, “Hey Dare, I think the little colt is out.”

With that, Darry shut the book and looked to his youngest brother with a soft expression, “God, I really hope this works. He’s been through so much already, I’m sure these dreams aren’t doing any good.”

Soda nodded in agreement and slumped down into the bed, throwing an arm across Pony’s waist and yawning. He blinked sleepily and tilted his head up, “Maybe you should stay in here tonight,” he offered to Darry who had moved to the door, his hip popped to the side. He shook his head and stepped back.

“We need to make tonight as normal as always, make sure we don’t throw anything else off,” Soda nodded in agreement with Darry’s reasoning and watched his he walked out of the room, flipping off the lights and closing the door soundlessly. 

As Sodapop started to surrender to the desire to sleep, the images of talking cats and caterpillars and tea parties filled his sleepy head. Tonight would be different. 

 

Pony woke to the sun settled high in the sky, perched on the folds of a group of cumulus clouds. He let out a kittenish yawn, shifting the vacant bed. The alarm clock on Soda’s side read 10:23 and Pony wasn’t only surprised he had slept in, he was surprised this was the first he had woken up that night. He grinned in triumph, throwing off the covers and sliding out of bed.

He stretched his arms and back, changing from his pajamas and into a pair of ripped jeans he was beginning to grow out of and a muted purple sweatshirt he found himself wearing often. Running his fingers through his soft hair, he exited the room and walked down the hall, the smell of chocolate cake dancing through the air. He stepped into the kitchen where Darry was sipping his second cup of coffee and perusing the paper. Soda and Steve were playing War, cards littering the table. The serene scene was disrupted by a loud burp, erupting from Two-Bit.

“Mornin’ Pone.”

“Good morning to you as well, Keith,” Ponyboy replied with a happy chuckle, sitting down beside Darry. He took his brother’s mug, took a generous sip, and sat back. Darry glared at Pony momentarily before folding the paper and setting it down. 

“So, how did it feel sleeping all the way through the night,” Darrel inquired.

Pony chuckled softly and raised an eyebrow, “I feel refreshed. Golly, I forgot what it felt like to get some sleep.”

“Ha, yeah I forget what it was like too,” chided Soda, who threw down a King, defeating Steve for the fourth time that morning. Pony punched his arm softly and Two-Bit laughed, spitting cake onto the back of Steve’s head.

Darry sat back and examined the fruits of his labor; Ponyboy had shed the dark circles under his eyes. Soda wasn’t groggy with concern when he woke up. Steve and Two-Bit had slept the night without being scared awake. Darry was sastified.

Last night had been different.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
